MSW Statements

[b39]

Hello everyone, 

 

I'm planning on applying to the 2 year MSW program at a few schools in Ontario and I've already started a few drafts of my statements. The question that is troubling me most is "what experiences motivate you to become a social worker?". My primary concern with this question is the possibility of being too personal however I feel that it is hard to explain what motivated me without being somewhat open about previous struggles.

 

 

 

If anyone has advice or tips on how personal/detailed this question should be please share, it would be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[talkinlikeateen]

I was actually told by a faculty member who reviewed my statement that I should go into detail about experiences leading me to social work.  For example, I started out saying that personal experience with mental health professionals made me want to help others who were experiencing the same things I had.  The faculty member asked me to somewhat elaborate on what exactly those experiences were, so I disclosed that I had been diagnosed with GAD when I was sixteen, and I struggled with depression and self-harm for many, many years as a young adult.  The experiences I had with MH professionals who helped me through those hard times made me want to do the same for others, to let them know that it can get better and it won't always be so hard.

 

Obviously you don't want to go into so much detail that it's like a sob story, but if you've been in foster homes or had a lot of experience with DCFS or, like me, mental health/self harm or suicide or what have you, I think it's okay to disclose that you spent a lot of time dealing with whatever it was, the impact it had on you - positive or negative - and how social work was tied into that, which led you to want to be a social worker to help others in that situation.

 

Good luck!

Edited September 20, 2013 by talkinlikeateen